February 12, 2009

A few weeks ago I sat down for a phone chat with Montreal-based Karen Coshof, a smart, forward-thinking film producer who made a 2006 documentary called The Great Warming. It is not only a direct look at what we are doing to the planet, but what we can do to avert more damage. I found out about the movie through a Balance magazinearticle with Alanis Morissette, who happens to co-narrate the film with Keanu Reeves.

The movie did not get as much as play as it could have because Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, came out simultaneously. It was unfortunate timing; nonethless the movie merits attention for its straight-forward approach. Besides, Karen went to amazing lengths to secure her fellow Canadian moderators. Both Alanis and Keanu agreed to do the voiceover for virtually nothing.

In the film, Karen advocates stewardship, not destruction; personal responsibility, not the blame game. She views the Earth as an intelligent organism that can do very well without us. In fact, the Earth will survive. We, the human race, may not.

In her view, overpopulation is the number one reason for our problems today. Not only do we need a paradigm shift about what to do with our empty yoghurt containers, but also about how we populate the planet. She admits she has gotten into some hot water with conservatives who disagree with her theory, calling her an offense against Nature.

To truly get to a Slow Planet, we need to reevaluate our thinking. The Great Warming is a great start.